Mushroom plant named ‘Grifon 120’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of mushroom, named ‘Grifon 120’, is described, which mushroom is characterized by its cap with thick flesh and delicious-looking whitish undersurface, good qualitative character and appearance, good keeping quality and storage life and delicious tasting. The mushroom can be cultivated by gathering and repeated breeding of fungal strains having dominant traits and is exquisite in stability, reproducibility and uniformity when being produced.

Latin name: Grifola frondosa (Fr.) S.F. Gray

Varietal denomination: ‘Grifon 120’.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of mushroom plant, named ‘Grifon 120’, of the species Grifola frondosa.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Grifola frondosa, also known as Maitake, has been richly cultivated artificially in Japan for a long time and known familiarly as healthy ingredient. In recent years, the demand of Maitake comestible as supplement is increasing because the hot water extract from Maitake is considered as effective against cancer. So, growth in demand of Maitake in the form of fresh food is expected. Ease of cultivation and improvement in productivity of the mushroom are required for expedite sales.

It is critical element that the appearance, taste, preservative quality and tempting color of Grifola frondosa broth to be accepted in a market. About the broth, it is pointed out that Grifola frondosa broth is deep in color with variety.

On the other hand, Grifola frondosa had been cultivated based on wild mushroom tissue disaggregation. However, it has been so far difficult to control the postplanting environment for Grifola frondosa artificially, and mass-produce the mushroom. Thus, a new mushroom species was bred by cross-breeding techniques. For example, there has been a new variety of Grifola frondosa named ‘Hokuto NT-100’ as disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. 17,984, which features ease of cultivating, fine flavor and improved storage stability. However, the aforementioned ‘Hokuto NT-100’ still has room for improvement in coloration and keeping quality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, the present invention provides a new and distinct variety of mushroom characterized particularly by its cap with thick flesh and delicious-looking whitish undersurface, good qualitative character and appearance, good keeping quality and storage life and delicious tasting, which can be cultivated by gathering and repeated breeding of fungal strains having dominant traits and is exquisite in stability, reproducibility and uniformity when being produced. This novel and distinct variety of mushroom is identified as ‘Grifon 120’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying photographic drawings illustrate the new variety, with the color being as nearly true as is possible with color illustrations of this type.

FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B) are photographs showing top and bottom of dual culture in which a pair of ‘Grifon 120’ strains of the invention are placed alongside.

FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B) are photographs showing top and bottom of dual culture in which ‘Grifon 120’ strain and parent strain ‘HOKUTO NT-100’ are placed alongside.

FIGS. 3(A) and 3(B) are photographs showing top and bottom of dual culture in which ‘Grifon 120’ strain and parent strain ‘HOKUTO MY-95’ are placed alongside.

FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B) are photographs showing top and bottom of dual culture in which ‘Grifon 120’ strain and control strain ‘MH182011’ are placed alongside.

FIG. 5 is a photograph showing the mazaedium of ‘Grifon 120’ of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a photograph showing the mazaedium of the parent strain ‘HOKUTO NT-100’.

FIG. 7 is a photograph showing the mazaedium of the parent strain ‘HOKUTO MY-95’.

FIG. 8 is a photograph showing the mazaedium of the control strain ‘MH182011’.

FIGS. 9(A) through 9(D) are photographs showing the cap gills of the strains ‘Grifon 120’ (FIG. 9(A)), ‘HOKUTO NT-100’ (FIG. 9(B)), ‘HOKUTO MY-95’ (FIG. 9(C)) and ‘MH182011’ (FIG. 9(D)).

FIG. 10 is a comparative photograph showing the strains ‘Grifon 120’, ‘HOKUTO NT-100’, ‘HOKUTO MY-95’ and ‘MH182011’ placed abreast in order.

FIG. 11 is a comparative photograph showing four cups of broth of strains ‘Grifon 120’ (upper left), ‘HOKUTO NT-100’ (upper right), ‘HOKUTO MY-95’ (lower left) and ‘MH182011’ (lower right).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of mushroom, Maitake named ‘Grifon 120’, characterized particularly by its cap with thick flesh and delicious-looking whitish undersurface, good qualitative character and appearance, good keeping quality and storage life and delicious tasting.

The Maitake ‘Grifon 120’ of the invention is cultivated by bringing indigenous fungal strains and commonly-available fungal strains. An example of the cultivation of the Maitake ‘Grifon 120’ will be described hereinafter. In this cultivation, the following fungal strains similar to ‘Grifon 120’ in variety were used as parent varieties.

-   -   1. Fungal strain: Maitake named ‘Hokuto MY-95’ registered as a         new plant variety under Reg. No. 8624 by the Ministry of         Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan on Dec. 22, 2000.     -   2. Fungal strain: Maitake named ‘Hokuto NT-100’ registered as a         new plant variety under Reg. No. 14031 by the Ministry of         Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan on Mar. 9, 2006.         This strain has been patented under U.S. Plant Pat. 17,984.

The aforementioned fungal strains were all developed and duly registered as new variety of mushroom by the assignee's company in Japan.

The record of actually bringing the ‘Grifon 120’ of the invention into cultivation is described below. The cultivating record is of help to understand the cultivation method of ‘Grifon 120’ of the invention to recreate the invention.

-   -   1. (Jan. 1993): ‘Hokuto MY-95’ was cultivated.     -   2. (Jan. 2002): ‘Hokuto NT-100’ was cultivated.     -   3. (Sep. 2002): Fungal hyphae was separated from Maitake         (Grifola frondosa) gathered from the wild in Yamagata, Japan, to         obtain a fungal strain named ‘MH182099’.     -   4. (Feb. 2004): From fungal strains obtained by crossing ‘Hokuto         MY-95’ and ‘MH182099’, there was sorted out a fungal strain         having a cap with whitish undersurface as intended, which was         named ‘MH182188’.     -   5. (Aug. 2006): A quality fungal strain (Specimen Maitake         #G060383) conformable to the breeding objective was obtained by         crossing ‘Hokuto NT-100’ and ‘MH182188’. As the result of         repeating the cultivation experiment, identification and         productive stability and uniformity of the obtained Maitake         #G060383 could be confirmed, thus to name the Maitake ‘Grifon         120’.     -   6. (Aug. 2007) An application for plant variety registration for         ‘Grifon 120’ was filed with the Ministry of Agriculture,         Forestry and Fisheries of Japan.

(1) Comparison of Maitake ‘Grifon 120’ with existing varieties in dual culture:

For identifying specific characteristics of the ‘Grifon 120’, dual culture using commercially available cultivars as parent controls was performed to investigate idiosyncrasy of fungi showing a reluctance to touch others.

The investigation was conducted by seeding the fungal strains of ‘Grifon 120’ and other control fungi upon a potato dextrose agar medium in such a manner that the fungal strains of ‘Grifon 120’ are confronted with the control fungi at intervals of 3 cm, cultivating the strains at 25 degrees C. for 28 days, and then, determining whether the strains show the reluctance to touch others.

The fungal strains used in the comparative experiments are as follows:

-   -   1. ‘Grifon 120’: (Maitake #G060383) Strain according to the         invention.     -   2. ‘Hokuto NT-100’: Parent variety similar to ‘Grifon 120’, as         described above.     -   3. ‘Hokuto MY-95’: Similar variety to ‘Grifon 120’, as described         above.     -   4. ‘MH182011’: Common cultivar available commercially in Japan,         which was used as a control strain.

In the result, the comparative experiments thus performed revealed that ‘Grifon 120’ of the invention shows the reluctance to touch all the other strains (see Table 1 and FIGS. 1 to 4). Consequently, it is evident from the experiments that ‘Grifon 120’ is a new variety of Grifola frondosa.

TABLE 1 Results of Dual Culture Similar Variety Commercial Strain NT-100 MY-95 MH082011 ‘Grifon 120’ + + + * Strains ‘Grifon 120’ have no reluctance to touch each other.

(2) Cultural characteristics of ‘Grifon 120’:

-   -   1. ‘Grifon 120’ cultivated on the potato dextrose agar medium         has the following characteristics. The mycelial color is white,         shape of the surface of the colony is smooth, shape of colony         edge is irregular, colony thickness is thick, and density of         hyphae is sparse (see Tables 2-4).     -   2. The optimal temperature for hyphal growth was approximately         26 degrees C. (see Tables 2-4).

TABLE 2 Character- Characteristic Code of Filed Variety istics 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 Genetic − + Dual Culture Reluctance- to-touch Physiology 20 22 24 26 28 30 Mycelial Growth Optimum Temperature (° C.) Growth Rate 10° C. 15° C. 20° C. 25° C. 30° C. 35° C. Mycelial White Other Color Shape of Smooth Laugh Other Surface of Colony Parent Variety Commercial Character- Note 'Hokuto 'Hokuto Strain istics (Data) NT-100’ MY-95’ ‘MH082011’ Genetic — 09 09 09 Dual Culture Reluctance- to-touch Physiology 04 04 05 05 Mycelial Growth Optimum Temperature (° C.) Growth Rate (mm/day) (mm/day) (mm/day) (mm/day) 10° C. 1.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 15° C. 1.5 1.4 1.7 1.8 20° C. 2.4 2.3 2.6 2.5 25° C. 2.7 3.1 2.9 2.9 30° C. 2.0 1.9 2.9 2.7 35° C. 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Mycelial 01 01 01 01 Color Shape of 01 01 01 01 Surface of Colony

TABLE 3 Character- Characteristic Code of Filed Variety istics 01 02 03 04 05 06 Shape of Irre- Colony gular Edge Colony Thin Me- Thickness dium Hypha Sparse Me- Density dium Cultivation Character- istics Capsule Little Me- Formation dium Capsule None Coloration Length of <30 31~40 41~50 51~60 61~70 >70 Time until fruit body formation at optimal temperature (Days) Optimal <15 15~20 20~25 >25 Develop- ment Temperature (° C.) Optimal <18 18~21 >21 Fruit Body Growth Temperature (° C.) Budding Early Normal period (Natural Cultivation) Yield 400 450 500 550 600 650 (g/bottle) Characteristic Code of Filed Variety Note Characteristics 07 08 09 (Data) Shape of Regular 01 Colony Edge Colony Thick 07 Thickness Hypha Density Dense 03 Cultivation Characteristics Capsule Much 05 Formation Capsule ∘ 01 Coloration Length of 03 Time until fruit body formation at optimal temperature (Days) Optimal 03 Development Temperature (° C.) Optimal Fruit 02 Body Growth Temperature (° C.) Budding period Late 05 (Natural Cultivation) Yield (g/bottle) 700 750 800 07 Parent Variety Commercial ‘HOKUTO ‘HOKUTO Strain Characteristics NT-100’ MY-95’ ‘MH082011’ Shape of 01 01 09 Colony Edge Colony 05 05 03 Thickness Hypha Density 03 03 03 Cultivation Characteristics Capsule 05 05 05 Formation Capsule 01 01 09 Coloration Length of 03 03 06 Time until fruit body formation at optimal temperature (Days) Optimal 03 03 02 Development Temperature (° C.) Optimal Fruit 02 02 01 Body Growth Temperature (° C.) Budding 05 05 05 period (Natural Cultivation) Yield (g/bottle) 05 07 01

TABLE 4 Charac- Characteristic Code of Filed Variety teristics 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 Morphology Cap Size Small Medi- Large um Thick- Thin Medi- Thick ness um Notch None Cross 1 2 3 sectional shape Face W G-W D-G B D-B color Annulus 1 2 3 4 Hair Few Medi- Many um Shape of 1 2 3 4 Tube Face Uneven- None ness of cross sectional the tip of tube Tube 1 2 3 Position Stipe Shape 1 2 3 Characteristic Code of Filed Parent Variety Variety Note ‘Hokuto ‘Hokuto Characteristics 09 (Data) NT-100’ ‘MY-95’ Morphology Cap Size 07 07 05 Thickness 05 05 05 Notch ∘ 01 01 01 Cross sectional 02 02 02 shape Face color Other Royal Horticultural Society: RHS Color Chart Grey- Grey- Grey- brown brown brown (199a) (199b) (n199c) Annulus Other 03 04 04 Hair 03 03 03 Shape of Other 01 01 01 Tube Face Unevenness of Present 01 01 01 cross sectional the tip of tube Tube Position Other 03 03 03 Stipe Shape Other 02 02 03 Commercial Strain Characteristics ‘MH082011’ Morphology Cap Size 07 Thickness 05 Notch 09 Cross sectional shape 02 Face color Royal Horticultural Society: RHS Color Chart Grey-brown (199c) Annulus 02 Hair 03 Shape of Tube Face 01 Unevenness of cross 09 sectional the tip of tube Tube Position 03 Stipe Shape 01

“Commercial Strain” means the commercially available strains used as control strains in contraposition to the instant mushrooms.

“Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S. Color Chart)” The color codes described in the foregoing Tables matched with the R.H.S. Color Chart prescribed by Royal Horticultural Society, England. Namely, the code numbers 199a, 199b and 199c in parentheses in the row “Face Color”in Table 4 corresponds to the R.H.S. Color Chart.

“Characteristic Code of Filed Variety” The characteristics (traits) of the instant mushrooms ‘Grifon 120’ are rated on a scale of one (01) to nine (09) in this column of the tables. The aspects relevant to the traits of the mushrooms correspond to the scale numbers.

“Note (Data)” The characteristics of the instant mushrooms ‘Grifon 120’ are denoted in this column of the tables and correspond to the numbers 01-09⁻, i.e. ‘Characteristic Codes of Filed Variety’.

“Parent Variety” The parent varieties of the instant mushrooms ‘Grifon 120’ are denoted in this column of the tables. Incidentally, the parents of ‘Grifon 120’ are ‘HOKUTO MY-95’, ‘HOKUTO NT-100’, ‘MH182099’ and ‘MH182188’ as described in the specification.

(3) Morphological characteristics of ‘Grifon 120’:

RHS COLOR CONFIGURATION CODE PILEUS Shape: Fan-like form (sector) 199a Lateral Diameter: 40.13 mm Gray-brown (Standard Deviation: 16.04; n = 142) Thickness: 2.57 mm (Standard Deviation: 0.58; n = 142) Gill None Stipe Slender

CULTIVATION METHOD

(Culture Vessel) Twenty polypropylene culture bags with a ventilating filter, which is formed in a square and has the dimensions of 8500 to 9000 cc in volume, 200×120 mm in bore diameter, and 460 mm in height, were prepared for cultivation of the fungal strains. The cultivation of the fungal strains was performed twice, using the ten culture bags each time.

(Culture Medium) Culture media composed of sawdust of broadleaf tree, especially beechwood, and corn bran was used. Each culture bag was filled with 2.5 kg of the culture medium at a mixture ratio of 1 kg of sawdust, 0.5 kg of corn bran and 2.1 kg of water (ratio by weight) and sterilized by autoclaving.

(Seed Fungus) Seed fungus composed of sawdust was used. About 25 cc of seed fungus was inoculated upon each culture medium.

(Cultivation) Cultivation was performed for 40 to 70 days at a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees C., at a humidity of 60% to 70%, and at an illumination intensity of 200 to 500 lux. The time when primordium of the objective fungal strain is formed and colored was determined to be an ending time period of cultivation.

(Strain Growth) After the cultivation, the growing condition of the strains was shifted to the condition of a temperature of 15 to 20 degrees C., a humidity of 80% to 95% and an illumination intensity of 500 to 1500 lux to make mazaedia of the strains grow. The time when pores appear in the cap gill was determined to be harvesttime.

RESULT OF CULTIVATION

The cultural experiment clarifies the differences between ‘Grifon 120’ of the invention and the control fungal strains including the most similar strains, as shown in Tables 2 to 4 above. The mazaedia of the strains are shown in FIG. 4 through FIG. 8.

(4) Morphological characteristics of the cap gill of Grifon120

Comparison was observed about a pore and gill color of ‘Grifon 120’ and similar varieties. The results are shown in the picture of the accompanying drawing.

The cap gill is more white than that of the similar species ‘HOKUTO NT-100’ similar to ‘Grifon 120’, and slightly colored. The pores in the gill were also made slow grow beyond recognition (FIG. 9).

(5) Features of the broth decocted from ‘Grifon 120’ (Table 5)

A comparison of broth between ‘Grifon 120’ of the invention and the similar varieties was drawn to evaluate ‘Grifon 120’. The broth of the strains in the experiment was obtained by boiling hot water containing 100 grams of the strain mazaedium over high heat for 30 seconds, further boiling the hot water for 30 seconds over gentle heat, and then bringing out the mazaedium from the hot water. The broths obtained resultantly from the comparative investigation performed for the strains were measured in concentration by comparison. (FIG. 10)

The result was that ‘Grifon 120’ was weaker in broth concentration than the commercial varieties of strains, but substantially equal to the similar variety ‘NT-100’.

TABLE 5 Comparison of absorbance of broths Absorption wavelength 437 nm Fungal strain ‘HOKUTO ‘HOKUTO ‘Grifon 120’ NT-100’ MY-95’ ‘MH182011’ Absorbance 0.214 0.218 0.253 0.263

(6) Eating-quality test of ‘Grifon 120’ (Table 6)

The eating-quality of ‘Grifon 120’ of the invention was compared with ‘Hokuto NT-100’. ‘Grifon 120’ is a strain improved from the parent variety NT-100 to enhance the cultural and eating quality thereof as described above. However, new varieties obtained by breeding do not always have the same flavor and texture. The strain does not always become tasteless even though the strain is made better in morphology. Thus, a taste test of the strains was also carried out.

The resultantly obtained fungi (mushrooms) were preserved in a common environment as would be for ordinary distribution. That is, the mushrooms were preserved at 3 degrees C. for 5 days after harvesting, at 30 degrees C. for two days, and further 15 degrees C. for three days. Then, on the tenth day after harvesting, a taste test was carried out.

The taste test was conducted by 64 monitors eating mushrooms, a questionnaire on the taste of the mushrooms was then carried out. The results of a questionnaire are shown in Table 6.

TABLE 6 Results of Taste Test Daintiness Firmness Ranking A B C E G N E D E ‘NT-100’ (ppl) 13 39 11 1 46 18 0 16 14 (%) 20 61 17 2 72 28 0 25 ‘Grifon (ppl) 28 31 5 0 57 7 0 34 22 120’ (%) 44 48 8 0 89 11 0 53 [Daintiness] A: Good taste B: Fair C: Bad taste E: No opinion [Firmness] G: Crunchy N: Soft E: No opinion [Ranking] D: Rated as “tasty” by comparison with others E: No opinion

As will be appreciated from the results shown in Table 6, ‘Grifon 120’ of the invention is better in daintiness and firmness than the control varieties. ‘Grifon 120’ was chosen as “higher-ranking” by 53 percent of monitors while the control variety ‘HOKUTO NT-100’ was chosen by 25 percent of monitors. Thus, ‘Grifon 120’ of the invention should prove dainty to the consuming public.

CONCLUSION

The new variety ‘Grifon 120’ produced by breeding according to the invention is different in morphologic attribute from the similar variety ‘HOKUTO NT-100’ and superior to the control variety ‘MH182011’ in terms of morphology, broth denseness and eating quality. 

1. A new and distinct variety of mushroom, substantially as described and illustrated herein. 